mimi266

Hi there everyone,

I am trying to get a bit of information about overnight cruises in the Whitsundays. With so many to choose from I have got no idea where to start.

Myself and 3 girlfriends are looking for a 1 or 2 night cruise departing in May.

We want to snorkel, be social, but not complete party boat. We want to have lots of fun though, see Whitehaven Beach, maybe try our hand at a bit of sailing.

We are also looking for some reasonably priced accommodation, not backpacker.

Hope someone can help???

mimi266

Hi again, just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for my query above. Have a few options but would like to hear of anyone who has a previous experience.

Bokhara2

Don't know what options you've looked at, Mimi266, but something like this might be interesting.

http://www.getawaywhitsundays.com/in...aydream-island

I've sailed & dived in the Whitsundays a bit, but we've always done a bareboat charter ourselves.

The only other recent experience I've had was a day's sailing & diving on one of the former Sydney-Hobart maxis. That was from Daydream Island, but picks up in Shute Harbour and Hamilston Is as well, I think.
http://www.sailingwhitsunday.com.au/

Sunsail are a good company & might be able to work out something to suit your schedule. http://www.sunsailwhitsundays.com.au...-cabin-package

stormbird

I'm going to put in a big request for you to check out bokhara's recommendation of Sunsail!

More than a good company they are very generous and here's why.

Our friend's only child was terminally ill with cancer and he wanted to go on a sailing ship (he loved playing pirates). So anyway our friends booked the boat etc but didn't say anything about their circumstances. However, they rang back to check out what their cancellation policy was and briefly explained why they might need to cancel.

Sunsail replied don't even worry about our cancellation policy because we are going to do the whole holiday for free!!! They actually provided the boat, captain, chef, etc completely free - a tremendous effort in my opinion.

So I would be very happy to recommend them and I've longed for the chance to pass some business their way. I think they may have a photo of our little friend on the wall of their office on Hamilton Island.

Anyway, the young man absolutely loved his time on the pirate ship but sadly he did pass away not long after his holiday.

Bokhara2

Doesn't surprise me at all, Stormbird. I've known a couple of the owners for years & can just see them doing something like that without a second thought.

I was thinking that they might do social sailing groups & it's logical to combine it with diving in the Whitsundays. Their social sailing days in Sydney Harbour are great.

mimi266

Hi guys thanks for the response. We are not looking to charter a boat ourselves we are looking for a fully crewed boat. Since posting on here I have receved some excellent suggestions and actually found an great local agent based in the Whitsundays who has been fabulous and helped us narrow down our choices. We have decided to go with Silent Night which fits our requirements. Will keep you posted and write a review once I get back. Thanks for you time to respond.

Bokhara2

That would be good, mimi266 - it's something that more people would probably do, if there were some current information on the short cruises available, experiences & prices.

mimi266

Hi all,

Just thought I would add a reveiw about my cruise in the Whitsundys. After asking some advice on various forums we decided to go with Silent Night which is a 2day/2night cruise. We have just returned home after returning from the Whitsundays. We went on the cruise last week as well as a couple of days at a great place called Sunlit Waters.
The cruise had 12 passengers which was enought to be sociable with and we even had a go at sailing. The crew on the boat were fantastic and looked after us very well. After reading another post about this boat on another forum I was a little concerned, but to be honest it was exactly what we were looking for. There was a great fun group on the cruise, and thankfully no drunken backpackers. I would definitely recommend this one if anyone is looking for a nice social relaxed cruise. Whitehaven Beach is as spectacular as it looks on the postcards, and even though it was a bit windy the weather was lovely. The snorkelling was fantastic, and a great time was had by all.
Sunlit Waters are great little apartments at the top of a not to steep hill within walking distance to the main street. They are fantastic value and have great views. www.sunlitwaters.com for anyone interested.
I must leave a special mention to Libby from Whitsunday Accommodation and Tours www.whitsundayaccommodation.net. After many enquiries I contacted Libby who I had seen mentioned in other forums and from the minute I emailed her she made the whole planning of this trip so simple. Libby had suggested the cruise as it fitted our needs, and also the accommodation. I cant thank her enough for all her assistance.
She even picked us up from the airport and took us to our cruise and accommodation and took us back to the airport when it was time to leave. If anyone needs any help with the Whitsundays I would definitely recommend you contact her, she seems to know everything.

Well I hope this little review helps others when trying to decide on anything in the Whitsundays. And thank you to those who responded to my intial enquiry.

Mimi